BayouSlide

The surgery for trigger finger is pretty straightforward. Solved my problem immediately with two of the fingers on my right hand. Talk with a good orthopedic hand specialist.

Echoes this paraphrase one of my favorite quotes from the Buddha: "Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it. Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held. Believe nothing just because it is said in ancient books. Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin. Believe nothing just because someone else believes it. Believe only what you yourself test and judge to be true."

But an aquarium and controlled environment "is" a scientific laboratory setting. I've read nearly everyone on your very comprehensive list...there's something of value to learn from everyone's experience when you approach it with an open mind and separate the wheat from the chaff. Then it's up to to the reader/fisherman to apply the lessons to actual practice. You've passed along some very insightful info yourself through this site. I'd be happy to have a book based on your experience on my bookshelf ? .

Nothing dumb about that. But understanding the biologic aspects of the bass can jump start that learning process. It's not necessarily an easy read, I'm in the midst of it after obtaining a copy, but it's fascinating and full of info that can be applied in our pursuit of this amazing species. The writer is not just a scientist, he's an angler himself.

Absolutely no unexpected breakoffs here with Sniper since I switched to the Palomar knot after having knot failures with the improved cinch knot.

You check the sending unit by removing it and manually moving the float through it's full range of motion with your ignition on, watching the fuel gauge needle for a full sweep. More likely a wiring problem since the fuel sending unit seldom goes bad, according to experienced boat mechanics. (But FWIW, I have a bad unit that will be replaced tomorrow...thanks Amazon!)

Yup, that most assuredly meets the definition for both "stupid" and "rich" ? Catt, a real buddy would have gifted that rig to you as long as you promised never to use it whenever you fished together ?

Options are the launch at Dauterive, the parish launch at Marsh Island Canal or the launch in the state park. The levee launch I'm familiar with is on Bayou Benoit and the opposite side of the levee: when water's high I've followed a GPS trail of breadcrumbs into the flooded bottoms and had a 19 bass day one time. If you launch at Dauterive you can watch your depth finder and wend your way southwest to Fausse Point. You will have to skirt some shallow areas. Don't let yourself get stuck in areas with less than two feet of water...it's hard to get out of the parish landing at Marsh Island Canal for newcomers because there's a large shallow silted in area right at the mouth that has caught me out more than once. There's a narrow stretch of navigable channel either side of the mouth that runs a whopping 3 - 4 feet if you pick your way very carefully. The easiest launch IMO is at the state park. From there you can easily access some main channels and avoid some extremely shallow, silted-in areas that start between Mestayer and Eagle Points and continues to the south and, oddly enough, puts the shallowest water right in the middle of the lake where you'd least expect it. Oddly enough, with the exception of some areas to the west of mid-lake (that Marsh Island Canal mouth in particular and the Samson's Cove area) you will find your most navigable water in the larger canals and along a lot of the shoreline. You should be fine. Hopefully, somebody who's spent their life fishing Dauterive/Fausse Point will check in with some useful info for you.

I'm not sure about public access to Lake Martin for a bass boat. The property owners of the land where the public launch was located closed off access to the launch March 1 with an eventual goal of charging an arm and a leg for access, all due to expiration of the original agreement and property issues that have been raised by a commercial enterprise located on the lake. I used to love to fish that place. If you don't mind an easy and fairly quick drive, Lake Chicot down I-49 is a heck of a lot more interesting to fish than Fausse Point, IMO. It's my new favorite and I've taken some nice bass and even a couple chain pickerel out of that lake. The northeast landing is the only public landing open at the moment (the park was closed for corona virus housing and I don't believe the other landings on the lake are open yet).

Lots of shallow water areas and open enough that waves from the wind can make sometimes holding your boat position difficult working the shoreline off the main lake. Not my favorite place to fish but the people who know it pull out the occasional 8 pound bass. Launching from the state park is the easiest option to avoid the worst of the shallows you pass by from the other landings. Some people love fishing Lake Dauterive/Lake Fausse Point, but despite a number of attempts trying a variety of areas in the lakes and canals, it remains low on my list of favorite places to fish. If you can get in (water may be only a foot or so deep) try Sandy Cove. If the wind isn't too bad you can pitch the cypress trees along Eagle and Mestayer Points. Keep your speeds down due to stumps, etc., and watch your depth finder. Navionics has good charts for the area, IIRC. The maze of canals can be confusing for newcomers otherwise.

Sorry about your trouble with the Lew's. I have a stable of the upper-grade Lew's reels, both baitcaster and spinning, and give them a "reel" workout. Just picked up another SD3H for a new swimbait setup.

Love catching a bonus catfish when bass fishing for exactly that reason!

This is tough on us retired guys: used to plan on having the lakes mostly to myself midweek. Now midweek is as crowded as weekends used to be.

Intrigued enough that I ordered one in Bluegill for use at a local lake that holds quantities of large bass. Probably have to wear a swim suit when using it, though, because I hate to lose $4 lures...hooking this $$ one into an underwater cypress stump would no doubt inspire epic efforts for recovery ?.

Being retired, I normally skip weekends and the resulting crowds...but COVID has changed that picture to "crowded every day of the week" But yesterday I had a chance to study areas where fish weren't and presentations that don't work at Chicot ? One bass followed a chatterbait right to the boat and another bit a leg off the buzz toad: I think they were just having fun at my expense. ?

Seems like everyplace I like to fish in South Louisiana is tough and sees a lot of fishing pressure. But that's part of the fun for me, trying to beat the odds and grind out a fish. That bass was my one solid bite for the day and it came at day's end. Besides, if the bass don't cooperate, there's always the possibility of a hooking up with a chain pickerel...where else in Louisiana can you run into that? ?

Buzzbaits were apparently on the menu at Chicot yesterday, as well. Caught this 4 1/4 pounder at the end of my day when I started throwing a buzz toad.

Fished my last trip's hot bait, a red Siebert Fogy chatterbait most of the day. But on a flat about quitting time at 5 p.m. yesterday I was throwing a buzzbait toad and picked up this 4 1/4 pounder, the only real bite of the day. First fish on a buzzbait, so I'm plumb full of buzzbait luv at the moment.

FWIW, I've seen bass swimming along with a school of small gar in the shallows of a bayou down here. They share similar habitat. But when you start catching bowfin and buffalo fish, the water quality is definitely too poor (deeply muddy/low in oxygen) for bass and it's time to move along.

Will do...and thanks!

Hope to get over to fish Toledo Bend at some point. What are the best color spoons to have on hand?

Here in South Lousiana, they are "choupique" in Cajun French. Nobody would know what you're talking about if you called it a bowfin.

Actually it is legal in some states. For example, regarding Texas: "Can I catch fish in public water and take them home to stock my pond? Fish that are legally harvested from public water may be stocked in a private pond. “Legally harvested” fish are caught by someone who holds the required fishing license, observing all applicable length limits, daily bag limits, and gear restrictions. For more information on licenses and regulations, see the Texas Outdoor Annual." Louisiana has regulations on importing invasive species, but nothing I can find on native species. When it doubt check with your state's wildlife & fisheries department.

I've used this one for a while and it works great. Inexpensive and runs off 2 D cells. Very easy on the batteries...they last a long time though I use rechargeables. https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marine-metal-products-bubble-box™-air-pump#repChildCatid=12048

Still available new from Lunker City for $7.99 plus shipping.